Author Bio

The EPTE Newsletter from Japan is brought to you by Dominique Numakura, the founder and managing director of DKN Research. He has been working for circuit board businesses and packaging material businesses more than 25 years. Dominique has developed many advanced technologies in high-density substrates and materials over the last decade. He has written more than 100 articles for major conferences and magazines, and he is the author of several books on electronic packaging technologies. Dominique is a regular contributing writer of columns for magazines and newspapers. He has a master's degree in physical chemistry and nuclear chemistry from Ibaraki University, Japan.

EPTE Newsletter: Coronavirus Detection Devices, Part 2

In Part 1 of this column series, I wrote about the possibility of using advancements in electronics to create coronavirus detection devices. I received many comments and ideas for these new medical devices. Several commented on current electronic projects intended to develop detection and diagnostic equipment.

The idea is to create a wearable electronic sensor that attaches to your body. The substrate requirements are different from those used in traditional materials (polyimide films or PET films). Device substrates have to be flexible and elastic to remain attached during body movements; urethane and silicone rubber could be options. Larger devices will require a permeable substrate to address moisture from sweating. One option for this basic material is to use adhesive bandages along with an appropriate coating material or glue.

The PCB’s copper foil (standard conductor material) is not suitable for a wearable device because of its poor elasticity. Using meander patterns as conductors can improve the copper foil circuits’ elasticity, but it is not enough for general use. One alternative for wiring electronic devices is screen-printable conductive ink. The elasticity from the conductive ink can increase by adding a rubber component for the binder matrix.

Multiple electrode patterns used in sensor modules are needed to continuously detect temperature, oxygen levels, perspiration, and more. The sensors can’t detect coronavirus, but the data sent to wireless devices and picked up by an AI chip can be analyzed. The results can trigger an early detection alarm if the user has symptoms associated with the coronavirus. The primary feature of this diagnosis system is continuous monitoring of your health and vitals during the infection. The AI devices learn as more data is analyzed, and accuracy will be improved.

The hardware will not require any unique creation for use as the module, and it could cost less than $100 once volume production is scaled. Printable and flexible electronics will play a key role in building the devices. The sensor parts should be disposable because they are attached to human skin. The necessity for early detection is essential, and this device could fill that need. Once operational, it can detect and monitor all your health for almost anything with a quick update and download. I can see every major retailer offering this product for sale.

Headlines

1. TSMC (semiconductor manufacturer in Taiwan) 5/12

Offers optimistic forecast for the market trend in 2021. AMD, one of its major customers, has been taking over the market share from Intel.

2. Sony (electronics company in Japan) 5/13

Made a good performance with imaging devices for the fiscal year ending March 2020 (revenue: 1.7 trillion yen, a 22% increase from previous year).

3. Renesas (semiconductor manufacturer in Japan) 5/15

Decided to terminate the business of laser diodes, photodiodes, and photodetectors. The revenue was much smaller than the forecast they planned.

4. Sony (electronics company in Japan) 5/18

Unveiled a new image “intelligent vision sensor” with AI functions that does not need additional processor and memories in the chip.

5. JEITA (electronic industry association in Japan) 5/18

Indicates that connectors are key components for the car electronics in the roadmap published in 2019.

6. Tokyo University (Japan) 5/19

Succeeded to process sub-micron scale using a femtosecond laser with a wavelength of 10–100 nanometers.

7. Unitree Robotics (robotics venture in China) 5/20

Commercialized a dog-shaped robot with four legs with high mobility. The retail cost is about $10,000 for one unit.

8. Samsung Electronics (electronics company in Japan) 5/21

Plans to develop ultra-high-resolution image sensors with 600 million pixels to compete with Sony’s devices.

9. TDK (device manufacturer in Japan) 5/22

Started volume production of an SMT common-mode filter for automotive Ethernet.

10. Share Medical (medical device manufacturer in Japan) 5/22

Agreed to co-develop a wireless digital stethoscope for non-touch diagnosis of coronavirus cases. The small device can be attached to a traditional stethoscope.

11. Shibaura Institute of Technology (technical college in Japan) 5/22

Developed a spherical speaker, introducing a dielectric elastomer actuator, which emits high tones up to 16k Hz in all directions.

12. Fuji Keizai (market research firm in Japan) 5/22

Estimated the market of capacitance-type touch panel screen at 1.87 trillion yen in 2019; the firm now forecasts 1.71 trillion yen in 2024. There will be a remarkable shift from glass bases to flexible ones.

Dominique K. Numakura is the managing director of DKN Research LLC. Contact haverhill@dknreseach.com for further information and news.

2020

In Part 1 of this column series, Dominique Numakura wrote about the possibility of using advancements in electronics to create detection devices for the coronavirus. In Part 2, he expands on several ideas for these new medical devices.

Virus testing for the coronavirus is key, but it’s difficult to administer to millions of people. Dominique Numakura asks, "Is it possible to develop an electronic sensor that can detect the coronavirus?

After emerging in China in December 2019, the novel coronavirus spread to over 200 countries around the world. European countries and the U.S. have reported a significant amount of cases over the last several weeks. Dominique Numakura reports on the status of life in Japan, as well as manufacturing and the PCB market in Asia.

COVID-19 emerged in China in December 2019 and spread around the world to over 200 countries. European countries and the U.S. report a significant amount of cases over the past several weeks. The total number of cases is more than 1.2 million. Dominique Numakura shares personal and global updates.

The year is flying by. The first quarter is close to completion, and 2019 is a distant memory. Analyzing business trends and forecasting is difficult enough without adding a wild card into the equation, specifically the coronavirus. For this reason, Dominique Numakura decided to provide a snapshot of the industry before the COVID-19 outbreak and look at trends moving forward.

Shipments from the printed circuit industry can arguably be considered a barometer for the global electronics market. With that said, PCB shipments for December are a little cloudy and complicated. Dominique Numakura explains.

The largest electronics exhibition in Asia opened January 15 at Tokyo Big Sight. The three-day event was larger than last year with more trade show participants as well as visitors. Dominique Numakura shares highlights from the show floor.

Electroless plating is a popular method in manufacturing printed circuits or flexible circuits. The electroless plating concept is not new; it is used to protect conductors against oxidation. However, it is not the default process for printed circuit manufacturing. Dominique Numakura explains.

2019

The circuit board industry in Taiwan released its shipping data for November. The revenue declined by 5.61% compared with the previous month and declined by 0.29% for the same month last year. Year-to-date revenue increased by 0.29% comparing year over year. Dominique Numakura unpacks the details of Taiwan's PCB industry for 2019.

Wiring with flexible circuits could be a practical solution. Nowadays, most mobile device manufacturers are consuming huge amounts of thin, flexible circuits to attach on the surface of the housing in limited spaces. However, the cost of flexible circuits and assembling them is another headache for device manufacturers because they are not negligible in the whole cost of the devices.

Japan increased its national sales tax rate from 8% to 10% effective October 1, 2019. The broad-based tax affects consumer products as well as medical, cellphone services, and business-to-business trade. Some products are excluded from the increase, but it is a little complicated. Dominique Numakura explains.

PCB monthly shipments for the first three quarters show some positive growth compared to the same periods of the previous year. However, growth was stagnant during October and November and declined significantly in December.

Many vendors and manufacturers featured test equipment for flexible circuits. It was worthwhile for Dominique Numakura to take a long look at this equipment that evaluates new functional, flexible circuits.

Many new technologies and products related to flexible circuits were introduced by mid-sized manufacturers at the JPCA Show 2019. Oki Cable displayed several unique technologies that included stretchable and transparent circuits. They are proactive with introducing new materials for base materials as well as conductors and coverlay.

There were many new products related to thick-film base flexible circuits introduced at the JPCA Show 2019. Specifically, these products were screen-printed conductive inks featured by some Taiwanese companies as well as other mid-sized manufactures. P-ban.com, an online circuit distributer, displayed several advanced technologies. Their basic concepts are not new, but their technology bundles are very practical and are currently in the market.

The JPCA Show opened June 5 at Tokyo Big Sight. The three-day show was sold out despite the slowdown for the global printed circuit industry. The show came at a good time and gave me the opportunity to network, collaborate, and collect market data for both business and technology trends.

Sales from consumer electronics are expected to slip this year, continuing a decline that began in December 2018. The Taiwanese PCB industry was first to signal stormy days ahead, and data from the global semiconductor industry for the same month backed up this gloomy forecast.

This Taiwanese circuit manufacturer did not use a new or unique technology to form the circuits but did change the materials. They introduced a fine screen-printing process using several new ink materials to produce a more reliable conductor. The new inks have higher flexibilities compared with metallic copper, so the circuit is more reliable during forming.

2018

More than 20 years ago, material manufacturers competed with each other to develop adhesiveless copper-clad laminates for the next generation of flexible circuits. A dozen or so companies were leaders in the pack with their new technologies. These technologies were categorized into two types: a casting and laminating process, and the metallization of polyimide films.

Wearable technology is common in the electronics industry and is expected to be a profitable category for the next generation of electronics. An Amazon search for wearable technology leads to 30,000 results. Flexible circuits are the most significant packaging materials for wearable devices including medical and healthcare devices.

Shipments for the PCB industry during the Q2 and the beginning of Q3 came in at double-digit growth, and revenue for August increased by more than 13% compared to the same month last year. Manufacturers throughout the mobile device supply chain predicted sales would increase even more during Q4.

Technology continues to evolve, and wearable electronics are the focal point for many new concepts. The next generation of wearable products for the consumer electronics industry will create a new market with nothing but upside for manufacturers and suppliers.

DKN Research is fielding many inquiries about a semi-additive process for the fine-line generation on thin, flexible substrates, including transparent heat-resistant plastic films. Most inquiries are from chip-on-film (COF) manufacturers with reel-to-reel (RTR) processes.

The rainy season in Japan usually ends in early July; however, severe and abnormal weather plagued Japan during the entire month this year. First, a strong typhoon passing from south to north soaked the western island, Kyushu. The typhoon kicked off the seasonal rain front in the western half of Japan, which resulted in historical rainfall. Some areas received more than 1,000 millimeters of rain in less than four days—a record amount of rainfall for many towns.

During the 1980s, manufacturers ran around the barn a few times trying to decide the best way to produce reliable bond strength between polyimide sheets and copper foils when producing thin copper laminates for high-density flexible circuits.

One of the largest exhibitions for the printed circuit industry was held June 6–8 at Tokyo Big Sight in Japan. The three-day show is held in Tokyo every June and attracts a worldwide audience. This year, related events at the show included JIEP 2018, JISSO PROTEC 2018, Total Organic Expo 2018, WIRE Japan Show 2018 and Smart Sensing 2018.

2017

SEMICON JAPAN 2017 was held at Tokyo Big Sight on Wednesday December 13. This is the last trade show for the electronics industry in 2017. The show used to be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, but changed venues due to shrinking attendance. Event organizers were hoping for a bump in visitors with the venue change.

Did you score on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? I have a 42-inch Samsung Plasma TV that is ready to be replaced. I bought this state-of-the-art plasma TV seven years ago for $795 (that was a bargain back then). Today, you can buy a 42-inch Samsung LCD HDTV on Amazon for $395—almost half the price from the one I purchased almost a decade ago. It’s a great deal and I plan on purchasing it once I finish this newsletter.

Japanese companies were immune to corporate scandals many years ago. These companies seemed squeaky clean, and seldom made headline news about scandalous business practices (the exception was the financial crimes at Toshiba). That has changed recently.

Toshiba was the leader in the electronics industry, and developed and marketed many types of electronic equipment and devices that included word processors, printers, VCR cameras, tape recorders, hard disc drives, transceivers, laptop computers, facsimiles, cellular phones, and more. Toshiba was also a leader in designing medical equipment. Toshiba was always one of the best electronics companies in the world.

Every piece of electronic equipment uses printed circuit boards. The circuit board industry posted mixed results for the first half of the year. Listed below is a quick snapshot of the global results as well as business trends for consumer electronics.

Radio Corporation of America (RCA) is a familiar name to anyone over the age of 40. The RCA brand is one of the oldest and most well-known brands in the consumer electronics industry. The company was founded as a subsidiary of General Electric (GE) in 1919, and was successful with radios, TVs and VCRs.

Hon Hai Precision Industry is the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer. Last week, the company announced plans to build a $10 billion LCD panel plant in Wisconsin. Hon Hai acquired Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp last year, and plans to manufacture Sharp LCDs in Wisconsin.

I attended the JPCA Trade Show earlier this month. Most of the products on display were related to electronics, the electronics industry, packaging and electronic circuits. Flex circuit manufacture and material companies that featured flexible circuits at the exhibition focused their attention on transparent flex circuits and stretchable flex circuits.

I recently attended the JPCA Show, the largest trade show event for the printed circuit industry. The size of the show was almost the same as last year, but there were significant changes to product lines from material suppliers. It seemed to me there was an increase in attendance, and almost everyone was there to get a glimpse of some new technology trends. Overall the show was a success. I am optimistic for the future.

2016

The last electronics trade show of the year has held starting December 14, for three days at Tokyo Big Sight. The slumping semiconductor market in Japan remains slow; however, I could be optimistic that the trade show would reveal some signs of an upturn for the industry.

Once summer is over, the year slips away: I can’t believe we are in the last month of 2016. We have almost a year of sales data from the global printed circuit industry, so this is a good time to analyze this year’s performance and consider business plans for 2017. Since printed circuits are the major components in electronic products, let’s review PCB market trends in the global electronics industry.

I attended a Printable Electronics workshop in Japan a couple of weeks ago. The 200-person crowd was made up of people from R&D organizations, material suppliers and machine manufacturers. No one there could be termed a customer; everyone was there to learn and discuss the latest printable electronics.

CREATEC JAPAN (the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies) was held at Makuhari Messe, one of the largest convention centers in Japan. The four-day show opened on October 4, 2016, and organizers anticipated more than 130,000 visitors this year.

Sharp Corporation was once a leading electronics company in Japan. In 1962, Sharp expanded outside of Japan and established Sharp Electronics Corporation in the United States. Sharp was known for cutting edge technology and developed many unique products for consumer electronics, including calculators, photovoltaic cells, LCD panels, LCD TVs, electronic notebooks and more.

Large electronics companies in Japan continue to lose market share in the global arena. This erosion of market share has had a ripple effect on Japanese printed circuit manufacturers that supplied these electronic companies; when they sneeze, printed circuit manufacturers catch cold.

Nintendo released its Pokémon Go app in July 2016, and Apple says it was the most downloaded app ever in a first week. More than 25 million people download and play the game every day; most of them are under the age of 25.

Transparent printed circuits were a popular item showcased at the JPCA Show 2016. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) use to be the dominant material used for transparent substrates in optical circuits and devices and generated a huge amount of sales from touch screen panels.

Market share for Japanese electronics companies began to erode in the early 2000s. Their shrinking sales were felt everywhere in the global market; especially hard hit were Japanese consumer electronics. Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Sanyo, Toshiba, Hitachi and other Japanese manufacturers were the predominant brands found in the big box stores. Consumer electronics inventories at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and other large retailers now come from manufacturers in Korea, Taiwan and China. Japanese brands have a negligible market share in the North American market.

Taiwan has become the manufacturing powerhouse for the global consumer electronics industry. Their product scope includes personal computers, tablet PCs, smartphones, gaming consoles, digital cameras and more. These broad ranges of products are not only manufactured in Taiwan, but also in Mainland China and other overseas countries.

2015

Last spring, Toshiba disclosed to its shareholders some accounting irregularities, causing them to delay their earnings report for the first quarter. These accounting irregularities made investors nervous, but not panicked enough to sell off their holdings. Officials at Toshiba explained the accounting irregularities included hiding some losses during previous years, and they would need to re-state their earnings as soon as possible.

Japan is home for Toshiba, one of the largest electronics company in the world. Toshiba is in the midst of a massive accounting scandal that was brought to light in April, when Toshiba first disclosed some accounting irregularities. Several executives including Toshiba’s chief executive and president resigned, and heads may continue to roll.

The recent news from Taiwan is not very optimistic; manufacturing companies are very pessimistic with their fourth-quarter forecasts. The media continues to report about the dismal global economy due to the uncertainty in the Chinese economy and the roller coaster rides in the financial markets. Taiwan is not uncertain at all—they are pessimistic with the business outlook for the rest of the year.

Society is dependent on technology—no argument there. Today’s youth does not know a world without mobile electronic devices that keep us connected 24/7, and a senior in high school does not know a world without Google. What happens if an asteroid storm takes out all the satellites orbiting the earth? Well, I experienced two technology crises in the last two weeks that was not as draconian as our satellites collapsing, but it did give me a moment to pause and think about our dependence on technology.

The quality of products made in China has improved over the years, but factory and worker conditions may not be keeping up. Without safeguards in the workplace, tragedies are bound to happen in plants that work with hazardous and flammable chemicals.

Equipment manufacturers and printed circuit manufacturers released pessimistic forecasts for the second half of the year. They blame their pessimism on slow sales from personal computers, and they expect a negative growth from tablet PCs this year. The printed circuit industry in Taiwan represents the global market trends for consumer electronics. For this reason, I do not have an optimistic outlook for consumer electronics this year.

DKN Research develops many types of unique electronic circuits. Some products in our portfolio include ultra-thin conductor circuits as small as 0.2 microns, metal-free circuits, and some circuits up to 20 meters long. Our staff fields many inquiries for packaging of new electronic devices. Lately, there is a lot of interest in transparent flexible circuits. The increase in interest is driven by the recent market expansion of display and optical devices.

The M-Tech 2015, held last June 24 at Tokyo Big Sight encompassed a broad range of technologies and mechanical processes, and was an excellent source for cutting-edge technologies for designing electronic devices and other mechanical components.

The three-day JPCA 2015 trade show was held on June 3 at Tokyo Big Sight. This trade fair is an international event that attracts customers, vendors and manufacturers who are affiliated with the electronics industry. This show provides me an opportunity to discover any new market trends or new technologies.

Nowadays, the broken products are sent to a manufacturers’ repair facility. They order alternative parts to replace the modules and do not solder anything in the process. It is pretty much plug and play – the technicians at the repair center do not require any specialized training. This is now the future – gone are the independent TV repair men.

2014

Dominique Numakura writes, "With most major trade shows and events, crowds of people can be seen walking from the train and bus stations to the convention center, but there were no crowds at this event. I wondered whether I had the wrong place or the wrong date. I was expecting long lines of visitors registering for the show and was surprised to see no lines."

Japanese manufacturers lost most of their global market share over the last few years due to poor business strategies. Products include flat panel TVs, cellular phones, personal computers, MP3s, tablet PCs, and more. Market share in the digital camera market remains on track, but this segment continues to shrink at an alarming rate. Some Japanese companies may throw in the towel. For them, a weak yen does not help their bottom line.

Japanese manufacturers lost most of their global market share over the last few years due to poor business strategies. Products include flat panel TVs, cellular phones, personal computers, MP3s, tablet PCs, and more. Market share in the digital camera market remains on track, but this segment continues to shrink at an alarming rate. Some Japanese companies may throw in the towel. For them, a weak yen does not help their bottom line.

Did you know that more than 90% of personal computers are manufactured by Taiwanese manufacturers in Taiwan? The total number of PCs manufactured totals more than three hundred million units per year (excluding tablets).

Taiwanese manufacturers are forecasting a further slowdown for the PC market during the fourth quarter of 2014 and all of 2015. This time around they expect the tablet PC market will also slow. Does it mean the entire electronics industry will slow down for a while? Some believe that when the PC industry sneezes the rest of the electronics industry catches a cold.

Taiwanese manufacturers are forecasting a further slowdown for the PC market during the fourth quarter of 2014 and all of 2015. This time around they expect the tablet PC market will also slow. Does it mean the entire electronics industry will slow down for a while? Some believe that when the PC industry sneezes the rest of the electronics industry catches a cold.

Unfortunately, market conditions in Japan have changed drastically during the last few years. Large electronics companies lost market share, along with the prestige of being the market leaders in business and technology. Columnist Dominique Numakura explains that the CEATEC Japan show reflects this downturn as it continues to shrink year over year.

Unfortunately, market conditions in Japan have changed drastically during the last few years. Large electronics companies lost market share, along with the prestige of being the market leaders in business and technology. Columnist Dominique Numakura explains that the CEATEC Japan show reflects this downturn as it continues to shrink year over year.

Last month, Sony announced a loss of more than $2 billion and canceled dividends for the current fiscal year. The CEO apologized for the poor performance and blamed the shortfall on the strategy to center core business on the smart phone segment--revenue never reached the estimated forecast.

The yen's depreciation does not strengthen exporting power for the Japanese electronics industry. What's scarier is that more than one-third of the fortune made in Japan during the last half century (about US $5 trillion) was lost through currency depreciation. Japan has lost its buying power.

2013

Japanese-based companies with overseas business are reaping the benefits of a weakening yen. Automobile manufacturers will post record profits for fiscal year 2013. They are spreading the wealth amongst their employees by paying out year-end bonuses.

Japan had a very bad start this year. Revenue for January and February were dismal compared with the same period last year and 2012 was almost as bad as the year of the worldwide recession in 2008. The year started off so badly that some feared a total collapse for the Japanese PWB Industry.

More than one-third of floor space was occupied by automobile manufacturers and module manufacturers. These companies showcased their products and demonstrated the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and telematics technologies (car electronics). A large section of space was reserved for concept vehicles of the future.

All good things must come to an end: The global recession that began in 2008 had a negative impact on the digital camera market. From that point on, annual shipments have declined 10 to 20% each year and shipments in the latter part of 2012 fell even more.

The Japanese electronics and circuit board industry show no signs of recovery. Sales of core products that include flat panel TVs, cellular phones, and digital cameras continue to show weakness and are down compared to the previous year.

Researchers from universities and material companies are extremely optimistic for the future of organic materials and their sensational performances. These researchers all claim that the new organic material is printable. But in my opinion, their projections are too optimistic.

Dominique Numakura reports that the electronics industry in Japan is currently suffering its worst slump in history. He was hoping to see new and innovative products at JPCA 2013to snap the country out of its funk.

Market conditions for both consumer electronics and printed circuits in Japan remained soft in the first quarter. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) reported a slight rebound for PWB shipments during March compared with the previous month. Unfortunately, volume is showing a double digit decline when compared year-over-year.

The Japanese yen continues to depreciate against other foreign currencies, while the Tokyo Stock Exchange reaches new highs every week. Dominique Numakura wishes he could say the same about the electronics industry. Unfortunately, the remarkable decline the electronics industry suffered during year end continues into 2013.

Industry trends were all over the place in 2012 for the global electronics industry. Industry analysts are not sharing any good news for 2013. Build-up multilayer boards, double-layer and multilayer flex circuits, and semiconductor substrates all show the same downturn in business in Japan.

2012

Dominique Numakura says, "It was nearly 40 years ago when I got my first job as a freshman in Japan, and to celebrate my success, I bought a high-end watch made by Seiko--a large watch manufacturer in Japan."

Previously, Japanese manufacturers were very profitable with their double-sided and multilayer flex and rigid module substrate product lines. Their overseas customers preferred high performance and a high-quality product produced in Japan. But Korean and Taiwanese PCB manufacturers have greatly improved the quality of their products in recent years.

The last TPCA Show Dominique Numakura attended was in 2008, and he says the PCB industry has changed drastically in that time. He explains that for some countries, the PCB business is good, and for others, well, not so good.

Sure, you use your smartphone or tablet in the usual places: The subway, in the car, and while relaxing on the sofa. What about the bathtub? You'd be surprised where some people take their valuable electronic devices.

Very few segments in the Japanese electronics industry are flourishing; in fact, many companies are barely hanging on as they try to weather the economic slowdown. Conversely, revenue predictions for social network games are expected to be well over $10 billion in the next few years.

The isolation that Japanese manufacturers once enjoyed is gone and several electronics products from other countries have flooded their markets. Now, the country's media has jumped all over Darwin's theory by comparing recent business trends for the electronics industry to the "Galapagos Syndrome."

Japan's PCB industry does not have many options left. Incremental improvements will not rescue the entire industry. Management teams must generate long-term survival plans and execute strategies as soon as possible. Time and money are running out...

The month of May is quickly winding down and the June trade show season is fast approaching. On June 13, 2012, the JPCA Show will open its doors at Tokyo Big Sight. The three-day event is the largest trade exhibition for the printed circuit industry.

2011

More than 1,000 new products and technologies were presented at JPCA Show 2011. Most of these products were connected to the consumer electronics market in some way--materials, equipment, PCBs, designs, IC packaging, application or assembly. Vendors seemed to concentrate on two consumer products: Smart phones and tablet PCs.

2010

Materials are the most purchased items in the PCB industry for both business and technology customers. Material suppliers occupied the majority of the space at the show; however, many suppliers considered to be large players in the industry were absent. Why did they pass on this year's show?

Not too long ago, visionaries predicted a "ubiquitous Internet," in which Internet access would be available anytime and any place on the earth. Their vision has almost come to fruition as more and more of us log on daily to get our Internet fix.

2009

One of the major conventions for electronic packaging and assembling was held at the Tokyo Big Sight for three days beginning January 28, 2009. The show had a name change this year and is now called NEPCON World. Each year, the exhibition grows larger and larger and continuously adds new events. The huge floors of the East and West Hall were fully occupied with more than 1,200 exhibitors.

Bad financial news continues to pour in everyday. The global economic meltdown is probably the worst slump felt in many years--and far worse than analysts expected. The crisis is widespread and Asian countries, whose economic engines seemed indestructible, are now grinding to a halt.

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) recently released June's production data from Japan's printed circuit industry. We now have a six month snapshot for 2008 and can review market trends for this period and forecast performance for the remainder of the year.

As with previous years, the majority of attendees at the JPCA show were Korean and Taiwanese; however, one difference with this year's melting pot was the increase in North American and Western European visitors.

Numakura spoke with one manager from a machine manufacturer who explained that small- and mid- sized assemblers, as well as prototype EMS companies from Japan, the U.S. and Europe, do not focus on high speeds, but, rather, a flexibility to manage many different products from a small line.

Materials are always a significant detail to consider in the printed circuit industry, and most of the major material suppliers reserved relatively large booths at the JPCA exhibition. The material manufacturers displayed their new items; unfortunately, I could not find very innovative or novel products during the show.

The benchmark isn't set for the high-density fine line circuit segment from the Japanese printed circuit industry. The front runners featured their fine line capabilities during the exhibition in a very competitive fashion.

Embedded components seems to be a very "fashionable" trend, started last year, and most of the major rigid board companies and flexible circuit manufacturers paraded their latest achievements from their technological departments at the show.

Last week, Soft Bank, one of three wireless phone carriers in Japan, announced the launch of the first iPhone entry into the Japanese cellular phone market. Apple granted Soft Bank an exclusive contract as the sole provider of iPhones in Japan.

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trading and Industry (METI) recently released PWB production data for March. Total revenue in March was 81.12 billion yen; a 2.5% increase from February, but 1.5% lower than January's numbers--we are hopeful that this is simply a seasonal adjustment.

2007

Although the number of semiconductor trade shows held in the U.S. and Europe are continuously declining, Semicon Japan has opposed this trend and continues to expand the scope of their event; SEMICON JAPAN 2007 registered over 1,500 exhibiting companies and organizations.

The target audience at Productronica is primarily printed circuit board manufacturers, and the majority of the exhibition was dedicated to materials and manufacturing equipment vendors and dealers who supply this segment.

Samsung did not provide specifics about its redeployment away from the Japanese market. However, industrial media reports suggest that Japanese customers cannot forget the old image of Korean products, "Cheap but low quality."